Ah Shucks! I won an award!

Kelly over at A Day in the Crazy Life has given me an award! She must know how much I love awards. Well, I promised that I would display the award proudly and in order to do that, I must tell my readers ten things that they may not know about me, and I apologize, if at times, my life is sappy and sentimental. So, without further ado:



Ten Things You May Not Know About Me (Next time, don’t ask!)


1) I cry way too much! I cry when I watch commercials, the news, and even cartoons. Anything sweet, sad or emotional sends out the waterworks.
2) I love ribs (baby back beef ribs to be exact) – never mind I need to lose a few pounds and I should eat healthier. I love ribs and I eat them at least once a month.  I have even found some creative recipes so I don't get bored.

3) I hate when I watch my DVR’ed episode of Days of Our Lives and people try to talk to me. By this I mean – call me on the phone, come to visit and ring my doorbell, or even simply talk to me.

4) I hate doing dishes. That is why I own a dishwasher.

5) I am brutally honest.

6) I have not talked to my brother in over a year and I don't want to.

7) I am quite the romantic.

8) I hate dwelling on the past and I hate people who do (minus not talking to my brother).

9) The hardest thing for me being is working mom is how much I miss my children. Sometimes, I cry on the way to work because I miss them so much.

10) I have in the recent year learned that the value of money is overrated, and that there are things that are far more important than money. Many of us say that we feel that money isn’t important, but we don’t really mean it or understand that until we are tested.



I would like to pass on the award to:

RA Guy

Lana over at the Kids Did WHAT?

Overwhelmed Mom

Mallen over at Making Lemonade

Alica over at YaYa Stuff



Don’t forget to check out my latest Examiner Cleveland post about Working Moms Surviving the 9 to 5 routine.

Surviving the 9 to 5 as a working mom

Photo Credit: StockVault.net

More than 50% of mothers with small children work outside the home, and the main reason that these mothers work outside the home is financial need. For every mother, the decision to work is not an easy one nor is there a correct answer to whether a mother should or should not work outside the home. Every mother does what is best for her family, and deciding to work outside of the home brings with it issues of guilt, prioritization, and time management that can make the nine to five lifestyle difficult and stressful.

Working moms always feel like they are running two different races at the same time. When you are at work, you worry about the workload, meetings, and deadlines; when you are at home, you worry about balancing the family’s checkbook, tonight’s dinner, checking the children’s homework, and planning a weekend visit with your in-laws. While both worlds are not supposed to collide, they quite often do, and while you are at work, you will realize that you have missed the baby’s well-check appointment or while you are at home, you wonder how you will make the latest project deadline since you are unable to work any overtime this week.



From this working mother’s viewpoint, juggling and struggling involves both laughing and crying. Quite often, it can be exhausting, stressful and confusing. You will forget your mom’s birthday, or your child’s costume for the school play, or, that ever-important deadline at the office that ended up being handled at the very last minute. Moreover, you will eventually realize that supermom is myth and trying to make that myth reality will only further exhaust, stress and confuse you.



READ MORE...

Wal-Mart to offer some relief during the upcoming holiday shopping season

The current state of our economy has forced many to start our Christmas shopping early and it is estimated that 70% of consumers will start their holiday shopping before Halloween. It is always a good idea during stressful economic times to plan especially for the holidays - a time where you do not want to be strapped for money. Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer is now giving consumers some relief by offering 100 toys for $10 a piece during the upcoming holiday shopping season.



Read More.

Lack of common sense or zero tolerance?

A first grader who brings a camping utensil to school to use at lunch gets suspended for 45 days due to his school’s zero tolerance policy. Zero tolerance policies are being utilized by school districts all over the country as a result of the violence that came of Columbine and Virginia Tech in recent years.



According to USA Today, the purpose of zero tolerance policies is to eradicate prejudice and discrimination on the part of school officials. There is a strong consensus of parents, educators, and even legislators who feel that zero tolerance policies only promote inequality and injustice leading to much criticism and debate. The decision and policy that led to the suspension of six year old Zachary Christie of Delaware required that school officials practice zero tolerance “regardless of intent” and “not take into consideration a child’s age,” this according to CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod.

 

Read more at the Examiner Cleveland.

Working Moms Can Stop Feeling Guilty

"It seems that no educated modern woman can have a baby without suffering agonies of self-doubt about the meaning of motherhood." Danielle Crittenden of the National Review discussing Susan Chira’s A Mother’s Place: Taking the Debate About Working Mothers Beyond Guilt and Blame.

Working mothers can completely relate to Ms. Crittenden’s assertion, and "suffering agonies of self-doubt about the meaning of motherhood" is most commonly associated with working mom guilt. Dropping off your child to daycare for eight plus hours a day can take a toll on any parent, but for working moms the feelings of guilt are much stronger as a result of the expectations of society and even the portrayals of working mothers in the media and the corporate world. In addition, working moms feel even guiltier when they arrive home to the second shift and become too busy to spend time with their children.  READ MORE.



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As many of you know, I am a Working Mom Examiner for the Examiner Cleveland edition.  As a working mom of many years, issues such as working mom guilt, work-life balance, and time management are all areas close to my heart. I appreciate your comments and your suggestions.  Be subscribe via email to receive updates.

More than half of working moms report that they sleep less six hours per night

A 2007 Sleep in America poll found that:



· Working moms sleep less than 6 hours per night on weeknights and are less likely to take naps during the day.



· More than half of working moms wake up feeling unrested.




· More than half say that they wake up during the night.




· 70% accept this and go about their day using caffeine as a means to keep themselves awake and alert.



Read More.

Taking time for yourself

According to Reuters Health, mothers of young children who feel they are not getting enough emotional support or help in caring for their children are at a three times higher risk of mental health issues compared to peers who feel they have enough support. In addition, 50% of mothers in the United States today work full-time and experience the stress of trying to do it all. This leads to feeling tired, overwhelmed, frustrated, and just feeling plain out-of-balance simply because mothers do not take time for themselves. Part of the problem is that many mothers simply do not want to ask for help.  READ MORE.